IN BRIEF

Avant-garde food finds its boho niche.

WHY CHOOSE THIS RESTAURANT?

For those who believe that pineapple should never go near a smoker or that fennel purée might well accompany seafood but never lamb, dinner at Supra should serve as a thrilling unrest cure. Restaurateur Thom Millott first challenged Wellingtonians’ culinary preconceptions with Amok in Mount Victoria and now emerges post-Covid with his second restaurant, also appropriately named – ‘supra’ being a Latin prefix meaning to surpass or go beyond. Situated upstairs on the corner of Eva and Dixon Sts, Thom’s new venue displays the artistic cutting edge of hospitality, though not the lavish surrounds. Twenty-odd seats snake around a long bench beneath a continuous picture window; try to score a seat overlooking Te Aro Park, if you want to avoid the view of the bird’s nest of tangled wiring down the alleyway wall reading ‘Dreamgirls – Wellington’s Hottest Adult Showplace’. Thom’s predominately young clientele remains coolly unperturbed by any of this.

ABOUT THE MENU

The Japanese artworks on the wall echo a Nipponese thread in the menu. Shiokombu – seaweed infused with Japanese soy sauce then dried – is not widely known but deserves to be, as it adds a delightful edge to the beetroot tartare along with subtle kicks of chilli and mandarin zest. Kombu reappears in the claypot octopus rice, while shoyu again enlivens the prawn toast served with a creamy kimchi emulsion.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Thom Millott grew up on the outskirts of Sydney in Campelltown, identifying with its typically suburban Chinese takeaway, burger bar, fish and chips and cornerstore Thai. He describes his cooking as an attempt to bring that nostalgia to modern food without being cheesy, and to make it more refined. Taking inspiration from the suburban Australian-New Zealand barbie, Thom bakes and roasts solely in a Josper woodfired oven from which emerges the said smoked pineapple and lemon curd Italian meringue (delicious), as well as the aforementioned lamb rack with fennel purée, a splash of jus and a nice juicy chunk of smoked cabbage.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Manager Hailie Robinson has worked at Wellington’s Hiakai as well as front of house at Martinborough’s Palliser Estate, specialising in tutored wine tastings. For this reason, server Tearani Wikohika will refer your in-depth wine queries to her boss. Unsurprisingly in such a minute restaurant and still tinier kitchen, Thom cooks with just one assistant, Ezra Burgess.

ADDRESS: 1/31 Dixon St, Te Aro, Wellington
Check website for opening hours
MAINS: $29 – $58
CONTACT: 04 210 006
WEBSITE:  suprarestaurant.co.nz